


It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

by thedark_before_thedawn



Category: Florabella - Fandom, Florence + the Machine
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2013-10-13
Packaged: 2017-12-29 08:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedark_before_thedawn/pseuds/thedark_before_thedawn





	1. Chapter 1

Shit. Where is she?

“Flo, please, please just answer your phone ok. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Just talk to me please. I’m sorry.” She hung up. The blonde was staring at her phone; standing in Flo’s room. She stared down at her phone until a tear splashed onto the screen. This is so stupid she thought to herself. No matter how much or how she tried to convince herself it wasn’t her fault she knew that it was.  
Grace tapped on the door and poked her head round. “Any luck?” She asked. Isa just shook her head as more tears fell down her face. “Isa, whatever happened it’s not your fault. Flo’s always been emotional, you know that. She’ll be fine I promise.”

Isa, still looking down, wiped her eyes, sniffed and looked up at Grace; trying to control herself. “Thanks Gracie.” She smiled slightly and Grace left the room. The walls were filled. They were filled with anything and everything that could possibly interest Flo; which was everything. There were birdcages, records, band posters, old Florence + the Machine artwork, pictures of her and the band, clippings from newspapers about drowning and wait. Isa stepped closer to a clipping about drowning. There was a small envelope with Isa’s name on it taped to the clipping.

Isa breathed in deeply then stretched out her hand and took the envelope and opened it. It was a picture of her and Isa on the pier in Brighton after their first UK “Lungs” tour. Beneath Flo and Isa’s body’s the words “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

Isa stared at the picture. She turned it over and froze. “I’m sorry. I love you.” Isa’s breathe started to catch in her throat and tears began to roll down her cheeks again. She held the picture tightly and ran out of Florence’s room and towards the front door.

“Isa, where are you going?” Grace called from upstairs but Isa ignored her. She ran out the door and got into her car. Flo could be there by now. Isa had no idea what time she left but it was already 4pm and it was starting to get dark. The car started and she started to drive; driving towards the place they first kissed.

*

Flo couldn’t stop thinking about it. The way Isa looked at her. The words were echoing in her head as she stared out the window of the empty train. The whole argument just played again and again in her head.

They were in the Schloft trying to talk about the second album but they were too exhausted. They’d just finished their tour and just wanted to spend time together.

Isa was in her usual black swivelling chair and Florence was lying across the small couch. Florence had her eyes closed lightly and Isa sat staring at her with a smile on her face. “I missed you last night.” She said as she moved closer to Florence on her chair.

Florence opened her eyes and moved her head to look at Isa. “I missed you too.” She said and pouted.

“It’s hard to sleep without a gangly ginger twice my size entangled in my limbs in an attempt to spoon.” She teased.

Florence pushed out her bottom lip and Isa laughed at her then moved off her chair and went to lie on the small couch with Florence. They were facing each other and the smallness off the couch made their forehead touch and their noses lightly brush against each other’s. Green eyes were gazing into blue. Isa could feel Flo’s hot breathes rush against her skin. Her breathing started to get heavier and Florence leaned in to kiss her.

At first it was soft, cautious and curious for they had never kissed like this before it had always been in a drunken almost joking way; sure they had a few nights on tour were hands wondered around under the sheets in the darkness but it had never felt like this.

Florence started trailing her kisses down, across Isa’s jaw and down her neck where she lingered for a while before moving her head back up to re-join with Isa’s lips. Her hand were tight on Isa’s hips as she moved on top of Isa and straddled her. Her hands then moved up across her stomach, slowly across Isa’s breasts, savouring the feel, and then up to cup Isa’s face as Isa now gripped Florence’s hips. She was about to take off Florence’s t-shirt when Florence whispered into Isa’s ear. “I love you Isabella.” Isa froze. Was this what she wanted? What if she said I love you too? Would she really mean it? What if something bad happened and it ruined their friendship? Could she do that?

Florence, sensing Isa’s hesitation, stopped. She sat up, still straddling Isa, and looked into her eyes.

“I-Isa?” She looked confused. Isa just lay there staring back at Florence with words inside of her failing to surface and spill out her mouth. She wanted to tell her she loved her too but what if she didn’t really mean it and wasn’t in love with Florence? What if this was just and of-the-moment feeling?

Thirty seconds went by without either saying a word. Florence was just staring at Isa like a stranger she wasn’t sure if she recognised and she wasn’t sure; whether she recognised Isa anymore; whether she really knew her. Isa had always been the one to come into Flo’s bed on tour, the one who wouldn’t let go of her hand at Lollapalooza, the one always leant her head on Florence’s shoulder. Florence was confused.

“Florence, I-I” Isa stuttered, but she couldn’t say it. She couldn’t say what she wasn’t sure of.

Florence just closed her eyes, letting a tear hit Isa’s chest, got off Isa and walked straight out of the Schloft. This always happened to her. She was always the first to fall, the first to say it, the one who fell hardest and the one who always ruined it; or so she felt. She headed straight towards to train station; to go where this started.


	2. Chapter 2

Flo was walking. She started walking towards the train station but, realising she had no money, had to double back and go home to her mother’s house quickly letting warm tears flow freely down her cheeks; making no attempt to wipe them.  
She quietly walked inside the house and walked to her room and looked around. Everything reminded her of Isa. Where is it? She thought as she looked around trying to find her purse but her room was so messy. She went over to her overflowing desk. It had to be there somewhere. She found it under a t-shirt that was half hanging off the desk. It was Isa’s t-shirt. Flo threw it behind her wiping fresh tears. As she picked up her purse she saw something beneath it. It was a Polaroid of her and Isa on Brighton Pier. Flo stared at it, still silently crying, and then she looked around again.

She grabbed a pen and scribbled two things on the Polaroid; one on the front, one on the back. She grabbed an envelope, wrote Isa’s name on it then stuck it to her wall.

As she turned around, picking her purse back up and putting in her large coat pocket, Grace called out for her.

“Flo, was that you who just came in?”

Florence walked and stood in her doorway, contemplating whether or not to answer Grace. She decided not to. She didn’t want to talk to her now. She didn’t want to talk to anyone.

She started slowly walking towards the door when Grace called out for the second time. This time she was standing at the top of the stairs.

“Flo?”

Florence ignored her.

“Florence?!”

Flo turned round and glared at her sister. “What?” She said through gritted teeth.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” grace asked, her voice becoming soothing as she saw mascara streaks down her sisters face.

Florence didn’t say anything; she just looked down.

Grace started coming down the stairs quickly to try and comfort her sister but as she went to wrap her arms around her Florence pushed her back slightly.

“Florence, what the fuck?” Grace said in an annoyed but controlled voice.

Florence looked at her sister then turned around.

“Florence, wait!” Grace grabbed Florence arm and spun her around to face her again. “What’s the matter, did something happen between you and Isa?”

“Just leave it Grace.” Florence said, anger building up in her voice.

“Florence, you can talk to me. I’m your sister.” She said, matter of factly.

“Seriously Grace, just fuck off!”

“Florence I-”

“No Grace! Don’t bother. You can’t always fix my fucking problems. You’re not a fucking therapist. And besides why the FUCK would I take advice from you Gracie? Huh? ‘Cause I sure can’t remember the last relationship you had.” Florence didn’t know where this anger was coming from but she was right up in Grace’s face; noses nearly touching.

The girls stood staring at each other and Florence saw something in Grace’s eyes just snap. Her face dropped and her eyes began to well. She’d never spoken to her like this before. Tears were silently streaming down Grace’s face, but Florence remained glaring at her.

They heard footsteps coming from the kitchen towards them.

“What’s going on?” Asked Evelyn, concerned as the girls had never argued like that. But Grace and Flo remained silent just glaring at each other; Florence’s face full of hate and Grace’s full of hurt. “GIRLS?!” She shouted making Grace jump and the air in her throat catch as she began to sob loudly as she turned and ran back upstairs.

“Florence, what have you done? I heard it all now what the hell is going on. You never talk to Grace like that and I won’t allow it and I don’t care how old you are. You go and apologise right this instant.” She said, standing by the bottom of the staircase, hands on hips and glaring at Florence. Florence just rolled her eyes, turned her back and walked straight out the door; slamming it as hard as she could behind her. She walked straight ahead without turning back and straight towards the train station.

*

Isa was driving as fast as she could. She couldn’t shake Florence’s face out of her head. The hurt Isa had caused her. The words Grace said Florence had shouted at her made her want to cry. Had she really made Flo this upset? She couldn’t feel anything but guilty. It was all her fault. As she started driving into Brighton it began to rain lightly. The streets were unusually empty which only gave Isa the excuse to drive faster to try and find Florence.

She pushed the pedal flat as she drove down Queen’s Road and West Street until she reached the seafront where she turned left onto King’s road up until Grand Junction Road where she almost dumped her car and got out.

“You can’t leave your car there!” Shouted a traffic warden.

Isa turned round and gave him her best “do I give a fuck face?” before turning around and walking off.

Isa walked onto the pier; she didn’t know which side Florence would be on. The pier was empty so it wouldn’t be too hard to find Florence…she hoped.

Isa had walked halfway up the pier when she saw a tall figure just ahead of her. The pier had started to get foggy with the light rain but as she got closer she could tell it was Florence by her newly dyed hair. But as she looked closer she saw where Florence was/what she was doing. She had climbed onto the railing on the pier and was sitting on it. A slight push and she would go over the edge. Isa quickly looked hoping the sea below was calm and deep enough in case Florence fell but her heart sank and her stomach felt sick as she saw the sea below was incredibly shallow and underneath she shallow water where rock pools. Isa let out a gasp as she saw it and Florence had heard her. She turned her head and they stared for a while just looking at each other. Flo then took her bum on the railing and placed her feet down…but it was on the wrong side. Her feet where balancing her on an extremely small ledge as if she was going to jump.

She was going to jump. Isa thought. The thought sent tears erupting from Isa’s eyes instantly. It was as if she had wanted to do this and waited for Isa to find her to do it; to make her see how she truly felt; how much she loved her.

The blonde bent down and quickly took off her heels throwing them behind her as she sprinted as fast as she could to Florence who, luckily, was not too far a distance away. But Isa could see it. She could see Florence take her hands off the railings and wait for a gust of wind to take her. Isa screamed for Florence and leapt towards her just as she thought Florence were about to fall.


	3. Chapter 3

“FLORENCE!”

The scream pierced through the air as the blonde jumped towards her, towards the love of her life, towards the one person she couldn’t live without.

The singer had begun to slowly fall forwards, with her eyes shut, until the blondes arm wrapped tightly around her waist holding her back up against the railings of the pier. Florence’s eyes shot open as she started crying.

“Let go of me!” She screamed as Isa wrapped as second arm around her, making sure she couldn’t fall off the ledge. “I said let go Isa!”

Isa, crying herself, managed to choke out words between sobs, “I-I’m n-not letting y-you go Florence.” Being the strongest of the two Isa managed to lift/pull Florence back over the railing and sat her down against the side wall of the deserted arcade. They were both holding hands, crying together.

“W-why are you even here Isa?” Florence asked bitterly. “It’s not like you care, you don’t even lo-”

“HEY!” Isa snapped, interrupting Florence and making her jump. “I care about you Florence. I care about you more than anyone else, you are all I think about and I will never let you go Florence, I will never let you down again, okay? I am so sorry. I was just shocked that’s all. I wanted to kiss you back Florence, I did, I really fucking did but…I don’t know…I just froze. I couldn’t believe that the woman who I’ve been crazy in love with since the last time we were in this spot kissed me and told me the she loved me. It’s just…” Isa looked down, fiddling with her hands, “no one loves me Florence. No one ever does, I’m just a one night stand you know? A bit of fun on the road and…I just wasn’t sure whether you were just saying it because of the moment or whether you actually did and…” Isa was still looking down, trying to decide if this was the time to say it. Florence put her finger under Isa’s chin and lifted it up. “I love you Florence.” She said looking into Florence’s blue eyes.

Florence’s emotions tugged at the corner of her lips before whispering to Isa. “Kiss me.” And theirs lips met.


End file.
